Contract

"What were you in such a hurry for?" Thinking this, she asked anyway.

"I was just afraid you'd misunderstand and think I wouldn't keep my promise."

"You really want to sign this contract with me? Aren't you afraid I'll ask you for a Divine Artifact later?" Yun Xi asked casually as she took out a key and opened the door.

"I'd have to possess one first, right?" Yun Linlin smiled sweetly, her puppy-like eyes sparkling.

"If I really had the strength and luck to obtain a Divine Artifact, giving you one wouldn't be impossible."

"What if you only had one?" Yun Xi continued asking.

"Then I'd still give it to you." Yun Linlin said seriously, "Everyone has to pay for their own mistakes. I won't be an exception."

"Okay." Yun Xi studied Yun Linlin seriously, and her impression of her gradually became clearer.

Yun Linlin handed Yun Xi the contract scroll she had already prepared. She had signed it in advance.

Yun Xi checked it over. When she saw the penalty for breaching the contract written on the scroll, she was surprised.

This kind of contract scroll was available in the system shop.

Its price was very low. It only cost 100 Copper Coins to purchase, and it also came with the system's witnessing and binding effects.

Normally, the system, which had always been a little miserly, wouldn't sell contract scrolls so cheaply.

But the system's purpose wasn't to sell the contract scrolls themselves. It was to collect the penalties for people who violated their contracts.

The contract scrolls sold by the system had different penalties for each type of contract.

The penalties for breach were divided into several levels.

The lightest were monetary punishments. For example, in ordinary work-related or shopping contracts, the penalty was usually one hundred or one thousand times the amount involved, such as the "fake goods, hundredfold compensation" clause in shopping contracts.

Slightly more severe were "slave contracts," which were strict contracts signed when joining a major faction. The penalties for these involved a person's attributes or Soul Power.

Depending on the conditions set by the first party to the contract, the violator might suffer anything from a loss of attribute points to death.

The most severe punishment was having one's soul weakened. After reincarnation, it would basically be impossible to be reborn as a human.

Finally, there were special contracts. Both parties could freely draft the contract's terms and punishments, or choose the penalties provided by the system.

For example, when Yun Xi bought the Black Mist Stone Earring from the alchemist, the two of them had signed a contract. Because of the value of the legendary item, its importance had long surpassed that of an ordinary purchase, so they had drafted a special purchase contract.

If the legendary item were fake or stolen goods of improper origin, the alchemist, as the seller, would breach the contract and receive the harshest punishment: death and a severe weakening of her Soul Power.

The system sold contract scrolls at such a cheap price, and an enormous number of people signed contracts. Naturally, a very small number of individuals would violate their contracts for various reasons.

As the party collecting the penalties, the system would profit from this. For monetary penalties, it would deduct half, while the other half would be paid to the buyer.

If the punishment involved vitality, Soul Power, or other special penalties, the system would line its own pockets and keep all of that special energy.

The contract scroll Yun Linlin had handed Yun Xi clearly stated that if Yun Linlin, as the second party, violated the contract, she would not only die immediately, but her Soul Power would also be weakened by more than half.

...Yun Linlin had actually chosen the harshest possible penalty for herself. That was something Yun Xi hadn't expected.

After confirming that everything was in order, Yun Xi also wrote down her name.

The contract was officially established. Yun Xi thought for a moment, then said to Yun Linlin, "I want to make my first request now."

"What request?" Yun Linlin asked.

"I want you to never do anything that harms me, no matter what method you use." Yun Xi added an extra safeguard.

No matter how sincere Yun Linlin was, Yun Xi still had to ensure her own safety.

Yun Linlin froze slightly, then quickly nodded. "Of course, no problem!"

The first condition Yun Xi had made was engraved onto the contract scroll.

Yun Linlin's quick agreement was something Yun Xi hadn't expected. This way, the two of them could be considered even.

After the contract was completed, Yun Linlin didn't stay any longer. She had also taken a master in the Godfall Continent and was currently learning martial techniques.

She was striving to complete Main Mission Two and obtain the Low-level Resurrection Talisman reward.

After seeing Yun Linlin off, Yun Xi didn't hurry to study. She first opened her phone and, as usual, checked the latest messages in the group.

Meanwhile, various chat groups online were once again heatedly discussing Godfall Continent shutting down its servers.

[AAA Laundry Detergent: Why does this game keep shutting down its servers? Could it be that the next test will still last ten days?]

[Niuniu: Who knows? Most likely.]

[The Sea Is Vast and the Sky Is Boundless: No! I just got started learning sorcery. After coming back, there isn't even any spirit energy in the air. How am I supposed to outline Sorcery Patterns?]

[AAA Laundry Detergent: @The Sea Is Vast and the Sky Is Boundless, you can choose to learn martial techniques first and claim the quest rewards. Some official bigshots have already tested it recently. The system recognizes certain martial techniques from Blue Star too.]

[Windy Fate: Laundry Detergent, is what you said true?]

[AAA Laundry Detergent: It's true. I estimate the officials will announce it soon, assuming this game really is going to become a "trend."]

[Niuniu: @AAA Laundry Detergent, have you already joined the official organization?]

[AAA Laundry Detergent: @Niuniu, Mm-hmm. Didn't I already become a formal martial artist? I was invited to join. Of course, the information I mentioned was also authorized by the officials for us to reveal.]

As soon as this was said, many people immediately refuted it.

[0453: That's not right. I joined the official organization too. How come I don't know about any of this?]

[Aimini: 0435 is right. I don't know anything about it either.]

Seeing this, Yun Xi raised her eyebrows. She had joined the official organization too, yet she likewise knew nothing about this information.

[AAA Laundry Detergent: Everyone, don't rush. I haven't finished speaking.]

[AAA Laundry Detergent: Actually, I was lucky. I made a special contribution, so I was invited into the formal department.]

[AAA Laundry Detergent: I know there are many brothers and sisters in the group who were invited too. They just haven't been assigned anywhere yet, so it's perfectly normal that they don't know some internal information.]

[AAA Laundry Detergent: You can ask the group administrators, and you'll know that I couldn't have fabricated this.]

Yun Xi fell into thought.

AAA Laundry Detergent had most likely entered an important department, such as the Special Operations Bureau, Special Investigation Bureau, or Special Inspection Bureau, all of which had been famous in her previous life.

As for the others, including Yun Xi herself, they were merely the most basic entry-level members.

So far, she had only been collecting a simple salary and possessed the right to conduct offline transactions.

The officials had invited so many martial artists and sorcerers. If they truly wanted to join a formal department and receive substantial training, they would naturally have to undergo selection.

By then, their salaries would no longer be Flower Coins, but the more valuable Copper Coins and Silver Coins, along with various other benefits. Of course, they would also have to sign the corresponding contracts.

Yun Xi had decided long ago that she wouldn't join a formal department or sign a contract.

First, she wasn't short of money.

Second, she still carried a special mission. The existence involved in it... might very well cause her to encounter many unexpected incidents.